Editing Setting:Tabula Gloria (section)

===The Catalyst Within===
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I was pondering the meaning of the Temratu's findings on our world - the World Itself - and its place in a larger system of realms and worlds. According to them, we are somehow connected to two realms of Pure Existence, that of the Ethereal and of the Physical. Beyond there, the Pure Existences connect to another world - the "Other Worlds - in which godlike beings reside. The theory explains that Mana trickles in from the Pure Ethereal and Will comes from the Pure Physical. But while the mages of this world are able to quantify Mana, even detail areas which are rich and poor in it, there is really no way to quantify this Will the Temratu speak of. Sure, there have been figures throughout history who have shown great courage and fortitude despite lacking the gift of magic, but such qualities only arise in certain individuals, instead of spread over a large area to be tapped into.
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I am being led to believe that the World Itself can draw forth Mana from the Pure Ethereal, but it is the domain of living creatures in which Will is derived from the Pure Physical. But even then, that is not true - throughout the whole of history there have been similarly significant figures and creatures which harbor incredible magical ability, despite how Mana-thin or Mana-rich the area in which they were located. So perhaps the truth behind both Mana and Will are actually connected. This further leads me to believe that in most living creatures lies a catalyst, or perhaps a magnet of sorts, which harvests both Mana and Will from their respective Existences.
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For simplicity's sake, I will call this catalyst '''Spirit'''.
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Though the Temratu theory by itself can certainly explain the heroes of history, about how they stand above the rest, but what about the common man, the innocuous beast? Certainly, some of them have magical ability of varying degrees. Surely, they have the ability to persist in the face of varying difficulties. The entirety of Vashial may have been taught the gift of magic, but surely there were those who were unable to make the cut. Not all of the men of Weylos could be considered as heroic figures of martial excellence. And certainly, the Shapers and machinists of Benalor seemed to have found a balance between the magical and the physical.
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So, how does the spirit work? That much I do not know yet. I have been trying to acquire funding and a blessing from the Emperor as to how to handle this. I would like to enlist populations from both the Empire and from Animar (perhaps some from the Eltyain if they are willing). They would then be evaluated in their current magical and physical skills by the College of Magical Arts and the Knightly Orders, respectively. From there, they would be sorted by their worst attributes, as their advantages would be highlighted and, were we to go by this theory, the affinity of their Spirit would be discovered - Mana or Will. From there, I would send them to the College if they are lacking in magical skill, and to the Orders if they are lacking in martial skill. If they indeed harbor spirit, then they should be able to change the affinity of it, for the more notable creatures and people were able to adapt and overcome their challenges, building their Spirit through growth and experience, according to the various folk lore throughout the ages.
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If they are able to do this, it would prove the commonality and mutability of the Spirit, though I would have to devise another means of actually quantifying it. But at least the existence of it would be a bit clearer.
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<tt>Memo from Worley Barlan, Master Researcher at the Imperial Library</tt>

It can be said that Spirit is the sum of one's growth and experience, of one's ability to adapt to changing situations and overcome challenges. It influences one's ability to harness both Mana and Will, acting as a transformer to make those energies into something more tangible, be it a magical spell or a physical feat. Throughout one's lifetime, he may devote himself to learning how to tackle challenges through magical methods, physical approaches, or a combination of the two. As such, it can also be said that Spirit is the sum of one's magical and physical ability.